Plan the perfect day in Kyoto
VIP Extras
photography: while we are no experts our guides have been studying iPhone photography recently and will be happy to share and exchange tips for getting great pictures. We are also happy to bring a camera along on the tour and to take photos and give you the SD card at the end of the tour. That way you can relax on the tour and you know that the images are private and only for your own use. Of course we can also use your camera to take photos at any time during the tour.
blog about the day: we can also write a small blog about our day together along with photos and you can share it with family and friends. We always write a full report of what we did that day and can send that in a private email to you as well.
restaurant recommendations and bookings: although I haven't tried every restaurant in Kyoto, it one perks of the job to do the research! If you already have a place in mind we can try to secure a booking for you too. Note that cancellation policies are very strict. Luckily, there are so many great places to eat in Kyoto that even if you don't book anything we are sure to have a great meal. One advantage of not having reservations is that we never have to be in a rush to get somewhere in time.
reservations for cultural activities: we can book a tea ceremony, meditation practice, pottery making class, taiko drum class or craft workshop for you to enjoy that day or we can just focus on showing you some of our favourite gardens and temples. We are always looking to add more options to the list so just let us know if you find something online that interests you.
reservations for spa or massage: we can even set you up for an afternoon at a spa or massage centre for the ultimate way to wind down at the end of the tour.
reservations for events, fun activities and cultural experiences: there is a big range of fun things to add to the day and of course Kyoto being the centre of the arts for centuries there is something for the inner artist in all of us too. Kyoto has so much to offer in this department that it's hard to choose. One thing we recommend though is to try to be selective and choose only one or two things in one day as we want to maximize the time you spend with your guide getting the most out of visits to gardens, temples and other places of cultural and historic importance.
Fun activities
Sagano Romantic Train (Arashiyama): hop aboard the classic steam engine train and wind through some beautiful valleys and see the beautiful scenery. This is an open car train so this is not a great option in winter but is a nice way to rest the legs after a lot of walking. Take a return trip on the same train or even choose a river boat ride back to Arashiyama or a regular JR train back to the city. Cost: 620 adults 310 for kids (6-11)
Hozu River Rapids boat ride (Kameoka/Arashiyama): great in combination with the Sagano Romantic train, or take a regular train to hop on the boat and take the 2hr ride down river to Arashiyama village. This is a fun and thrilling ride but is only good when the weather is pleasant even if they do have covered boats for wet days. Takes about 2hrs so maybe not ideal if you want to fit more into the day. Great for resting tired legs though. Cost: 4,100 adults 2,700 for kids (4-12)
Rickshaw ride (Arashiyama, East side of Kyoto): this is a fun way to see the city from a different perspective and you can choose just to go around the block once or twice for around 2000-3000 yen per person or do a 30-60min course for 4500-9000 yen per person. It one of the coolest ways to see the bamboo grove too! Cost: 2000-9000 per person
Kimono dress up (everywhere in Kyoto): lots of people enjoy dressing up in traditional kimono and wandering the streets of Kyoto. We can even arrange a photo shoot in a studio or just find some beautiful streets to snap pics. For for men, women and kids too. Some people even do the full "geisha" makeover which takes a couple hours to do. Costs: 3,000-20,000 yen
Sagano Romantic Train (Arashiyama): hop aboard the classic steam engine train and wind through some beautiful valleys and see the beautiful scenery. This is an open car train so this is not a great option in winter but is a nice way to rest the legs after a lot of walking. Take a return trip on the same train or even choose a river boat ride back to Arashiyama or a regular JR train back to the city. Cost: 620 adults 310 for kids (6-11)
Hozu River Rapids boat ride (Kameoka/Arashiyama): great in combination with the Sagano Romantic train, or take a regular train to hop on the boat and take the 2hr ride down river to Arashiyama village. This is a fun and thrilling ride but is only good when the weather is pleasant even if they do have covered boats for wet days. Takes about 2hrs so maybe not ideal if you want to fit more into the day. Great for resting tired legs though. Cost: 4,100 adults 2,700 for kids (4-12)
Rickshaw ride (Arashiyama, East side of Kyoto): this is a fun way to see the city from a different perspective and you can choose just to go around the block once or twice for around 2000-3000 yen per person or do a 30-60min course for 4500-9000 yen per person. It one of the coolest ways to see the bamboo grove too! Cost: 2000-9000 per person
Kimono dress up (everywhere in Kyoto): lots of people enjoy dressing up in traditional kimono and wandering the streets of Kyoto. We can even arrange a photo shoot in a studio or just find some beautiful streets to snap pics. For for men, women and kids too. Some people even do the full "geisha" makeover which takes a couple hours to do. Costs: 3,000-20,000 yen
Cultural Activities
Taiko Drum classes (city centre/West side): try your skills on the taiko drums with this fun lesson. You can learn how to play the drums and you even get a good workout from it too. This is especially fun for teenagers who are getting bored of temples and shrines. Cost: 6000 yen per person
Pottery making class (East side/city centre): there are a few around the city and they can be a lot of fun. We can try our hand at making a cup or bowl and then once we are done they will put it aside to be fired in the kiln. And if you want, then have a service where they can ship it to your home country or to an address in Japan where you will be staying before you go. Cost: 1,800-3,500 yen
Kyoto Handicraft Centre (East side): you can try all kinds of workshops here and also it's one of the best places in Kyoto to shop for souvenirs too. Everything from wood block printing, jewelry making and even spice mixing. Costs: 2000yen and up
Tea ceremony (West side/city centre/East side): this is one of the most popular cultural activities for adults and older kids and teens can really enjoy it too. Sit on the tatami mat floor and watch the tea master go through the careful ritual. It's like a form of meditation. Many places give explanations in English too. Choose from a group or private option. Costs: from 3,000 yen per person and up to 30,000 for a private encounter using museum level antiques.
Pottery making class (East side/city centre): there are a few around the city and they can be a lot of fun. We can try our hand at making a cup or bowl and then once we are done they will put it aside to be fired in the kiln. And if you want, then have a service where they can ship it to your home country or to an address in Japan where you will be staying before you go. Cost: 1,800-3,500 yen
Kyoto Handicraft Centre (East side): you can try all kinds of workshops here and also it's one of the best places in Kyoto to shop for souvenirs too. Everything from wood block printing, jewelry making and even spice mixing. Costs: 2000yen and up
Tea ceremony (West side/city centre/East side): this is one of the most popular cultural activities for adults and older kids and teens can really enjoy it too. Sit on the tatami mat floor and watch the tea master go through the careful ritual. It's like a form of meditation. Many places give explanations in English too. Choose from a group or private option. Costs: from 3,000 yen per person and up to 30,000 for a private encounter using museum level antiques.
Sightseeing courses
We love showing you our favourite gardens and places of historic and cultural importance. Luckily Kyoto is almost like an open air museum and has so much to offer. Let us know in the questionnaire what type of traveller you are but note that we can go anywhere you like that day, but we don't want to spend half the day travelling from place to place. We are also happy to help you plan the days before or after your tour once we set the itinerary for the day we have together so you can really get the most out of your time here. See some of our suggested routes and sample itineraries.